EU Committee of the Regions' reporter on candidate countries and the Secretary General of Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia Jasmina Vidmar visited on 29 May 2009 the Union of Municipalities of the Marmara (Turkey). In Istanbul, where the UMM is based, Mrs Vidmar met with the Acting President of UMM and Mayor of Zeytinburnu Municipality Murat Aydın.

The UMM is an active partner of the Committee of the Regions in Turkey and participates in the work of the Working Group on Turkey of the CoR. The visit preceded the CoR's Plenary Session, held on 16-18 June 2009, at which the report prepared by Mrs Vidmar was finally discussed and adopted. The UMM had contributed in the phase of its preparation, providing an overview of the ongoing local government reforms in Turkey.

Visiting the Union's newly opened International City and Local Government Library, she praised it as a very important contribution to the development of urban management studies and additional tool for the dissemination of local government knowledge in the region.

During the meeting with Mayor Aydın, Mrs Vidmar noted that South-East Europe, where both Slovenia and Turkey are located, is an important region with ongoing decentralizations processes. According to Mrs Vidmar, Turkey has an important role to play in the region and the European Union without her would be weak and incomplete. Mayor Aydın and Mrs Vidmar had the opportunity to discuss various subjects, including further cooperation with the Committee of the Regions and between the associations of local authorities. The Slovenian Association of Municipalities and Towns and Union of Municipalities of Marmara are both active members of the Network of Associations of Local Authorities in South East Europe/NALAS.

Source: http://www.marmara.gov.tr/newsdetail.aspx?newsId=352